The very first time I held a thermal imager (TI) was something like 18+ years ago. It weighed 6.5 pounds (2.95kgs) and had a handle on it, which made it rather large and cumbersome to carry with you.
The TIs being manufactured today are nothing like what I first used. In this month’s column, I will talk about three aspects of TIs: durability, ergonomics, and simplicity (DES).
DURABILITY
The definition of durability is the ability to last over time, resisting wear, breakage, deterioration, etc. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service, has an extensive section of testing requirements to be NFPA 1801 compliant.
Three areas of this testing follow:
- Section 8.3 Impact Acceleration Resistance Test: The TIs are dropped from a height of 6.5 feet (2 meters) onto a concrete surface so that impact is on each face and on one corner and one edge of the product.
- Section 8.6 Heat Resistance Testing: The TIs are placed in an oven at +500°F (+260°C) for five minutes.
- Section 8.13 Durability Test: The TIs are submersed 3 feet (0.91 meter) underwater for 30 minutes.
When looking at purchasing or acquiring new or replacement TIs, don’t be afraid to put them through some testing of your own. Drop them, dunk them, and make them toasty. After all, you want to ensure that the manufacturer and distributor will stand by their respective products and testing standards.
1 This TI has a detachable handle. (Photos courtesy of Bullard.)
2 This TI does not have a handle, creating a smaller form factor.
ERGONOMICS
The definition of ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products, and systems so that they fit the people who use them.
A handle or no handle on the TI is up for some good debate. Manufacturers produce TIs that have nondetachable handles, detachable (removable) handles, and no handles at all, which changes the ergonomics and form factor of how the TI is carried and used.
Things have changed in the fire service for the better based on knowledge, education, and voice of the customer. Back in my days of fighting fires, I loved having a pistol-grip nozzle as I felt I had better control. Today, nozzle manufacturers have changed how nozzles react to flow, creating less backpressure and making the nozzle easier to hang onto and maneuver. But, I am old school and I love my pistol grip. This is no different than with your TI—is it old-school thinking or just a preference if it must have a handle?
Regardless of handle or no handle, the TI is a tool that is held out in front of you so you can observe fire conditions, search for victims, check for structural integrity, etc. It should be hands-free because it dangles off of your gear and can be a pain as it can get hung up. With a handle, the TI now becomes a crutch as you are crawling. You are dragging the TI through all the water and burnt debris just because it has a handle, and you are hanging onto it.
We pack enough equipment onto and into our gear that every pound of weight matters. Next time you are evaluating TIs, try them with no handle—forget old-school thinking.
SIMPLICITY
The definition of simplicity is the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded.
NFPA 1801 allows only the following grayscale imagery with white-hot polarity: White is hot, black is cold, and everything else is shades of gray. The grayscale overlay of colorization shall be only yellow, orange, and red with light yellow showing the lowest in temperature and darkest red being the hottest in temperature.
Manufacturers can include user-selectable modes showing different colorization once an NFPA-compliant TI is taken out of Basic mode into Basic Plus mode. These modes define warmer temperature areas, for example: size-up, overhaul, smells and bells calls, missing persons, and hazmat, just to name a few. Others are defined for firefighting mode, search mode, hazmat mode, and outdoor mode. You must really understand what these colors mean before you are proficient in using thermal imaging, which I say is not simple at all.
Anything with a one-button operation will give you black, white, grayscale, and then into your graduated yellow, orange, and red, which are colors that are simple and easy to understand. Having more does not mean that it is better; it just means there is more for you to do when you should be focusing on your task at hand as a firefighter.
Durability, ergonomics, and simplicity are three key components for consideration when evaluating, purchasing, and using a TI. An extremely valuable lesson, as a fire department found recently after it went through some NFPA 1408, Standard for Training Fire Service Personnel in the Operation, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Thermal Imagers, training is that YES, you can use your TI on every call you go on only if you remember to take it off the truck with you.
MANFRED KIHN is a 19-year veteran of the fire service, having served as an ambulance officer, emergency services specialist, firefighter, captain, and fire chief. He has been a member of Bullard’s Emergency Responder team since 2005 and is the company’s fire training specialist for thermal imaging technology. He is certified through the Law Enforcement Thermographers’ Association (LETA) as a thermal imaging instructor and is a recipient of the Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery. If you have questions about thermal imaging, e-mail him at Manfred_kihn@bullard.com.
